Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients With
Bipolar Disorder (Revision)
page 7
PART A:
Treatment Recommendations for Patients With Bipolar Disorder
II. FORMULATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A TREATMENT PLAN
The following discussion regarding the formulation and implementation of
a treatment plan refers specifically to
patients with bipolar disorder.
Every effort has been made to identify and highlight distinctions between
bipolar I and bipolar II disorder in terms of patient response to treatment.
However, with few exceptions, data from large trials have been presented in
such a way that making such distinctions is difficult. For the treatment of
patients with major depressive disorder, readers should refer to the APA
Practice Guideline for the Treatment of Patients With Major Depressive
Disorder (2).
Initial
treatment of bipolar disorder requires a thorough assessment of
the patient, with particular attention to the safety of the patient and
those around him or her as well as attention to possible comorbid
psychiatric or medical illnesses. In addition to the current mood state, the
clinician needs to consider the longitudinal history of the patient's
illness. Patients frequently seek treatment during an acute episode, which
may be characterized by depression, mania, hypomania, or a mixture of
depressive and manic features. Treatment is aimed at stabilization of the
episode with the goal of achieving remission, defined as a complete return
to baseline level of functioning and a virtual lack of symptoms. (Following
remission of a depressive episode, patients may remain at particularly high
risk of relapse for a period up to 6 months; this phase of treatment,
sometimes referred to as continuation treatment [4], is considered in this
guideline to be part of maintenance treatment.) After successfully
completing the acute phase of treatment, patients enter the maintenance
phase. At this point, the primary goal of treatment is to optimize
protection against recurrence of depressive, mixed, manic, or hypomanic
episodes. Concurrently, attention needs to be devoted to maximizing patient
functioning and minimizing subthreshold symptoms and adverse effects of
treatment.
Of note, in the treatment recommendations outlined in this guideline,
several references are made to adding medications or offering combinations
of medications. Patients with bipolar disorder often require such
combinations in order to achieve adequate symptom control and prophylaxis
against future episodes. However, each additional medication generally
increases the side effect burden and the likelihood of drug-drug
interactions or other toxicity and therefore must be assessed in terms of
the risk-benefit ratio to the individual patient. This guideline has
attempted to highlight medication interactions used in common clinical
practice that are of particular concern (e.g., interactions between
lamotrigine and valproate or between carbamazepine and oral contraceptives).
In addition, for several of the medications addressed in this guideline,
different preparations or forms are available (e.g., valproic acid and
divalproex). Although the guideline refers to these medications in general
terms, the form of medication with the best tolerability and fewest drug
interactions should be preferred.
At other times in treatment, it may be necessary to discontinue a
medication (e.g., because of intolerable side effects) or substitute one
medication for another. It is preferable to slowly taper the medication to
be discontinued rather than discontinuing it abruptly.
In this revision of the previously published Practice Guideline for
the Treatment of Patients With Bipolar Disorder (5), the term "mood
stabilizer" has been omitted. Several definitions of what constitutes a mood
stabilizer have been proposed and generally include such criteria as proven
efficacy for the treatment of mania or depression, absence of exacerbation
of manic or mixed symptoms, or prophylactic efficacy. Because of the absence
of a consensus definition, this guideline will instead generally refer to
specific medications or to the phase of illness in which they may be used.
A. Psychiatric Management
The cross-sectional (i.e., current clinical status) and longitudinal
(i.e., frequency, severity, and consequences of past episodes) context of
the treatment decision should guide the psychiatrist and bipolar disorder
patient in choosing from among
various possible treatments and treatment
settings. Such treatment decisions must be based on knowledge of the
potential beneficial and adverse effects of available options along with
information about patient preferences. In addition, treatment decisions
should be continually reassessed as new information becomes available, the
patient's clinical status changes, or both. Lack of insight or minimization
is often a prominent part of bipolar disorder and may at times interfere
with the patient's ability to make reasoned treatment decisions,
necessitating the involvement of family members or significant others in
treatment whenever possible.
At this time, there is no cure for bipolar disorder; however, treatment
can significantly decrease the associated morbidity and mortality. The
general goals of bipolar disorder treatment are to assess and treat acute
exacerbations, prevent recurrences, improve interepisode functioning, and
provide assistance, insight, and support to the patient and family.
Initially, the psychiatrist will perform a diagnostic evaluation and assess
the patient's safety, level of functioning, and clinical needs in order to
arrive at a decision about the optimum treatment setting. Subsequently,
specific goals of psychiatric management include establishing and
maintaining a therapeutic alliance, monitoring the patient's psychiatric
status, providing education regarding bipolar disorder, enhancing treatment
compliance, promoting regular patterns of activity and of sleep,
anticipating stressors, identifying new episodes early, and minimizing
functional impairments.
1. Perform a diagnostic evaluation
The evaluation for bipolar disorder requires careful and thorough attention
to the clinical history. Patients with bipolar disorder most often exhibit
symptoms of depression but may also exhibit substance use, impulsivity,
irritability, agitation, insomnia, problems with relationships, or other
concerns. Patients rarely volunteer information about manic or hypomanic
episodes, so clinicians must probe about time periods with mood
dysregulation, lability, or both that are accompanied by associated manic
symptoms (e.g., decreased need for sleep, increased energy).
One way to improve efficiency and increase sensitivity in detecting
bipolar disorder is to screen for it, particularly in patients with
depression, irritability, or impulsivity. The Mood Disorder Questionnaire is
a 13-item, self-report screening instrument for bipolar disorder that has
been used successfully in psychiatric clinics (6) and in the general
population (unpublished 2001 study of R.M.A. Hirschfeld). The general
principles and components of a complete psychiatric evaluation have been
outlined in the APA Practice Guideline for Psychiatric Evaluation of Adults
(7).
2. Evaluate the safety of the patient and others and determine a
treatment setting
Suicide completion rates in patients with bipolar I disorder may be as high
as 10%-15% (8-13); thus, a careful assessment of the patient's risk for
suicide is critical. The overwhelming majority of suicide attempts are
associated with depressive episodes or depressive features during mixed
episodes. The elements of an evaluation for suicide risk are summarized in .
All patients should be asked about suicidal ideation, intention to act on
these ideas, and extent of plans or preparation for suicide. Collateral
information from family members or others is critical in assessing suicide
risk. Access to means of committing suicide (e.g., medications, firearms)
and the lethality of these means should also be determined. Other clinical
factors that may increase the risk of a patient acting on suicidal ideation
should be assessed; these may include substance abuse or other psychiatric
comorbidity, such as psychosis. The nature of any prior suicide attempts,
including their potential for lethality, should be considered.
The ability to predict suicide or violence risk from clinical data is
somewhat limited. Consequently, patients who exhibit suicidal or violent
ideas or intent require close monitoring. Whenever suicidal or violent ideas
are expressed or suspected, careful documentation of the decision-making
process is essential. Hospitalization is usually indicated for patients who
are considered to pose a serious threat of harm to themselves or others. If
patients refuse, they can be hospitalized involuntarily if their condition
meets criteria of the local jurisdiction for involuntary admission. Severely
ill patients who lack adequate social support outside of a hospital setting
or demonstrate significantly impaired judgment should also be considered for
admission to a hospital. Additionally, those patients who have psychiatric
or general medical complications or who have not responded adequately to
outpatient treatment may need to be hospitalized. The optimal treatment
setting and the patient's ability to benefit from a different level of care
should be reevaluated on an ongoing basis throughout the course of
treatment.
During the manic phase of bipolar disorder, a calm and highly structured
environment is optimal. Such stimuli as television, videos, music, and even
animated conversations can heighten manic thought processes and activities.
Patients and their families should be advised that during manic episodes,
patients may engage in reckless behavior and that, at times, steps should be
taken to limit access to cars, credit cards, bank accounts, and telephones
or cellular phones.
3. Establish and maintain a therapeutic alliance
Bipolar disorder is a long-term illness that manifests in different ways in
different patients and at different points during its course.
Table 1
Characteristics to Evaluate in an Assessment of Suicide Risk in Patients
With Bipolar Disorderª
Presence of suicidal or homicidal ideation, intent, or plans
Access to means for suicide and the lethality of those means
Presence of command hallucinations, other psychotic symptoms, or severe
anxiety
Presence of
alcohol or substance use
History and seriousness of previous attempts
Family history of or recent exposure to suicide
ªAdapted from the APA Practice
Guideline for the Treatment of Patients With Major Depressive Disorder (2).
Establishing and maintaining a supportive and therapeutic relationship is
critical to the proper understanding and management of an individual
patient. A crucial element of this alliance is the knowledge gained about
the course of the patient's illness that allows new episodes to be
identified as early as possible.
4. Monitor treatment response
The psychiatrist should remain vigilant for changes in psychiatric status.
While this is true for all psychiatric disorders, it is especially important
in bipolar disorder because limited insight on the part of the patient is so
frequent, especially during manic episodes. In addition, small changes in
mood or behavior may herald the onset of an episode, with potentially
devastating consequences. Such monitoring may be enhanced by knowledge
gained over time about particular characteristics of a patient's illness,
including typical sequence (e.g., whether episodes of mania are usually
followed by episodes of depression) and typical duration and severity of
episodes.
5. Provide education to the patient and to the family
Patients with bipolar disorder benefit from education and feedback regarding
their illness, prognosis, and treatment. Frequently, their ability to
understand and retain this information will vary over time. Patients will
also vary in their ability to accept and adapt to the idea that they have an
illness that requires long-term treatment. Education should therefore be an
ongoing process in which the psychiatrist gradually but persistently
introduces facts about the illness. Over an extended period of time, such an
approach to patient education will assist in reinforcing the patient's
collaborative role in treating this persistent illness. In this capacity,
the patient will know when to report subsyndromal symptoms. Printed material
on cross-sectional and longitudinal aspects of bipolar illness and its
treatment can be helpful, including information available on the Internet
(such as that found in the Medical Library at www.medem.com). Similar
educational approaches are also important for family members and significant
others. They too may have difficulty accepting that the patient has an
illness and may minimize the consequences of the illness and the patient's
need for continuing treatment (14-17). A list of depressive and bipolar
disorder resources, including associations that conduct regular educational
meetings and support groups, is provided in Appendix I (p. 37).
6. Enhance treatment compliance
Bipolar disorder is a long-term illness in which adherence to carefully
designed treatment plans can improve the patient's health status. However,
patients with this disorder are frequently ambivalent about treatment (18).
This ambivalence often takes the form of noncompliance with medication and
other treatments (19,20), which is a major cause of relapse (21,22).
Ambivalence about treatment stems from many factors, one of which is lack
of insight. Patients who do not believe that they have a serious illness are
not likely to be willing to adhere to long-term treatment regimens.
Patients
with bipolar disorder may minimize or deny the reality of a prior episode or
their own behavior and its consequences. Lack of insight may be especially
pronounced during a manic episode.
Another important factor for some patients is their reluctance to give up
the experience of hypomania or mania (19). The increased energy, euphoria,
heightened self-esteem, and ability to focus may be very desirable and
enjoyable. Patients often recall this aspect of the experience and minimize
or deny entirely the subsequent devastating features of full-blown mania or
the extended demoralization of a depressive episode. As a result, they are
often reluctant to take medications that prevent elevations in mood.
Medication side effects, cost, and other demands of long-term treatment
may be burdensome and need to be discussed realistically with the patient
and family members. Many side effects can be corrected with careful
attention to dosing, scheduling, and preparation. Troublesome side effects
that remain must be discussed in the context of an informed assessment of
the risks and benefits of the current treatment and its potential
alternatives.
7. Promote awareness of stressors and regular patterns of activity
and sleep
Patients and families can also benefit from an understanding of the role of
psychosocial stressors and other disruptions in precipitating or
exacerbating mood episodes. Psychosocial stressors are consistently found to
be increased before both manic and depressive episodes (23). Although this
relationship was previously thought to hold true only for the first few
episodes of bipolar disorder, more recent studies have found that stressors
commonly precede episodes in all phases of the illness (24). Social rhythm
disruption with disrupted sleep/wake cycles may specifically trigger manic
(but not depressive) episodes (25). Of course, some episodes may not be
associated with any discernible life events or stressors. Clinically, the
pharmacological management of manic or depressive episodes does not depend
on whether stressors preceded the episode. However, patients and families
should be informed about the potential consequences of sleep disruption on
the course of bipolar disorder (26). To target vulnerable times and to
generate coping strategies for these stressors, the unique association
between specific types of life stressors and precipitating episodes for each
patient should also be addressed (27). It is similarly important to
recognize distress or dysfunction in the family of a patient with bipolar
disorder, since such ongoing stress may exacerbate the patient's illness or
interfere with treatment (14,15,28,29).
Patients with bipolar disorder may benefit from regular patterns of daily
activities, including sleeping, eating, physical activity, and social and
emotional stimulation. The psychiatrist should help the patient determine
the degree to which these factors affect mood states and develop methods to
monitor and modulate daily activities. Many patients find that if they
establish regular patterns of sleeping, other important aspects of life will
fall into regular patterns as well.
8. Work with the patient to anticipate and address early signs of
relapse
The psychiatrist should help the patient, family members, and significant
others recognize early signs and symptoms of manic or depressive episodes.
Such identification can help the patient enhance mastery over his or her
illness and can help ensure that adequate treatment is instituted as early
as possible in the course of an episode. Early markers of episode onset vary
from patient to patient but are often usefully predictable across episodes
for an individual patient. Many patients experience changes in sleep
patterns early in the development of an episode. Other symptoms may be quite
subtle and specific to the individual (e.g., participating in religious
activities more or less often than usual). The identification of these early
prodromal signs or symptoms is acilitated by the presence of a consistent
relationship between the psychiatrist and the patient as well as a
consistent relationship with the patient's family (27). The use of a graphic
display or timeline of life events and mood symptoms can be very helpful in
this process (30). First conceived by Kraepelin (31) and Meyer (32) and
refined and advanced by Post et al. (30), a life chart provides a valuable
display of illness course and episode sequence, polarity, severity,
frequency, response to treatment, and relationship (if any) to environmental
stressors. A graphic display of sleep patterns may be sufficient for some
patients to identify early signs of episodes.
9. Evaluate and manage functional impairments
Episodes of mania or depression often leave patients with emotional, social,
family, academic, occupational, and financial problems. During manic
episodes, for example, patients may spend money unwisely, damage important
relationships, lose jobs, or commit sexual indiscretions. Following mood
episodes, they may require assistance in addressing the psychosocial
consequences of their actions.
Bipolar disorder is associated with functional impairments even during
periods of euthymia, and the presence, type, and severity of dysfunction
should be evaluated (33-35). Impairments can include deficits in cognition,
interpersonal relationships, work, living conditions, and other medical or
health-related needs (36,37). Identified impairments in functioning should
be addressed. For example, some patients may require assistance in
scheduling absences from work or other responsibilities, whereas others may
require encouragement to avoid major life changes while in a depressive or
manic state. Patients should also be encouraged to set realistic, attainable
goals for themselves in terms of desirable levels of functioning.
Occupational therapists may be helpful with addressing functional
impairments caused by bipolar disorder.
Patients who have children may need help assessing and addressing their
children's needs. In particular, children of individuals with bipolar
disorder have genetic as well as psychosocial risk factors for developing a
psychiatric disorder; parents may need help in obtaining a psychiatric
evaluation for children who show early signs of mood instability.
B. Acute Treatment
1. Manic or mixed episodes
For patients experiencing a manic or mixed episode, the primary goal of
treatment is the control of symptoms to allow a return to normal levels of
psychosocial functioning. The rapid control of agitation, aggression, and
impulsivity is particularly important to ensure the safety of patients and
those around them.
Lithium, valproate, and antipsychotic medications have shown efficacy in
the treatment of acute mania, although the time to onset of action for
lithium may be somewhat slower than that for valproate or antipsychotics.
The combination of an antipsychotic with either lithium or valproate may be
more effective than any of these agents alone. Thus, the first-line
pharmacological treatment for patients with severe mania is the initiation
of either lithium plus an antipsychotic or valproate plus an antipsychotic.
For less ill patients, monotherapy with lithium, valproate, or an
antipsychotic such as olanzapine may be sufficient. Alternatives with less
supporting evidence for treatment of manic and mixed states include
ziprasidone or quetiapine in lieu of another antipsychotic and carbamazepine
or oxcarbazepine in lieu of lithium or valproate. (Although efficacy data
for oxcarbazepine remain limited, this medication may have equivalent
efficacy and better tolerability than carbamazepine.) Short-term adjunctive
treatment with a benzodiazepine may also be helpful. In contrast,
antidepressants may precipitate or exacerbate manic or mixed episodes and
generally should be tapered and discontinued if possible.
Selection of the initial treatment should be guided by clinical factors
such as illness severity, by associated features (e.g., rapid cycling,
psychosis), and by patient preference where possible, with particular
attention to side effect profiles. A number of factors may lead the
clinician to choose one particular agent over another. For example, some
evidence suggests a greater efficacy of valproate compared with lithium in
the treatment of mixed states. Also, severely ill and agitated patients who
are unable to take medications by mouth may require antipsychotic
medications that can be administered intramuscularly. Because of the more
benign side effect profile of atypical antipsychotics, they are preferred
over typical antipsychotics such as haloperidol and chlorpromazine. Of the
atypical antipsychotics, there is presently more placebo-controlled evidence
in support of olanzapine and risperidone.
If psychosocial therapies are used, they should be combined with
pharmacotherapy. Perhaps the only indications for psychotherapy alone for
patients experiencing acute manic or mixed episodes are when all established
treatments have been refused, involuntary treatment is not appropriate, and
the primary goals of therapy are focused and crisis-oriented (e.g.,
resolving ambivalence about taking medication).
For patients who, despite receiving the aforementioned medications,
experience a manic or mixed episode (i.e., a "breakthrough" episode), the
first-line intervention should be to optimize the medication dose.
Optimization of dosage entails ensuring that the blood level is in the
therapeutic range and in some cases achieving a higher serum level (although
one still within the therapeutic range). Introduction or resumption of an
antipsychotic is often necessary. Severely ill or agitated patients may
require short-term adjunctive treatment with an antipsychotic agent or
benzodiazepine.
With adequate dosing and serum levels, medications for the treatment of
mania generally exert some appreciable clinical effect by the 10th to the
14th day of treatment. When first-line medications at optimal doses fail to
control symptoms, recommended treatment options include addition of another
first-line medication. Alternative treatment options include adding
carbamazepine or oxcarbazepine in lieu of an additional first-line
medication, adding an antipsychotic if not already prescribed, or changing
from one antipsychotic to another. Of the anti-psychotic agents, clozapine
may be particularly effective for treatment of refractory illness. As
always, caution should be exercised when combining medications, since side
effects may be additive and metabolism of other agents may be affected.
ECT may also be considered for patients with severe or
treatment-resistant illness or when preferred by the patient in consultation
with the psychiatrist. In addition, ECT is a potential treatment for
patients with mixed episodes or for severe mania experienced during
pregnancy.
Patients displaying psychotic features during a manic episode usually
require treatment with an antipsychotic medication. Atypical antipsychotics
are favored because of their more benign side effect profile.
2. Depressive episodes
The primary goal of treatment in bipolar depression, as with nonbipolar
depression, is remission of the symptoms of major depression with return to
normal levels of psycho-social functioning. An additional focus of treatment
is to avoid precipitation of a manic or hypomanic episode.
The first-line pharmacological treatment for bipolar depression is the
initiation of either lithium or lamotrigine. The better supported of these
is lithium. While standard antidepressants such as SSRIs have shown good
efficacy in the treatment of unipolar depression, for bipolar disorder they
generally have been studied as add-ons to medications such as lithium or
valproate; antidepressant monotherapy is not recommended, given the risk of
precipitating a switch into mania. For severely ill patients, some
clinicians will initiate treatment with lithium and an antidepressant
simultaneously, although there are limited data to support this approach. In
patients with life-threatening inanition, suicidality, or psychosis, ECT
also represents a reasonable alternative. In addition, ECT is a potential
treatment for severe depression during pregnancy. Selection of the initial
treatment should be guided by clinical factors such as illness severity, by
associated features (e.g., rapid cycling, psychosis), and by patient
preference, with particular attention to side effect profiles.
Small studies have suggested that interpersonal therapy and cognitive
behavior therapy may also be useful when added to pharmacotherapy during
depressive episodes in patients with bipolar disorder. There have been no
definitive studies to date of psychotherapy in lieu of antidepressant
treatment for bipolar depression. However, a larger body of evidence
supports the efficacy of psychotherapy in the treatment of unipolar
depression (2).
For patients who, despite receiving maintenance medication treatment,
suffer a breakthrough depressive episode, the first-line intervention should
be to optimize the dose of the maintenance medication. Optimization of
dosage entails ensuring that the serum drug level is in the therapeutic
range and in some cases achieving a higher serum level (although one still
within the therapeutic range).
For patients who do not respond to optimal maintenance treatment, next
steps include adding lamotrigine, bupropion, or paroxetine. Alternative next
steps include adding other newer antidepressants (e.g., another SSRI or
venlafaxine) or an MAOI. Although there are few empirical data that directly
compare risk of switch or efficacy among antidepressants in the treatment of
bipolar disorder, tricyclic antidepressants may carry a greater risk of
precipitating a switch into hypomania or mania. Also, while MAOIs have
generally demonstrated good efficacy, their side effect profile may make
other agents preferable as initial interventions (2). ECT should be
considered for patients with severe or treatment-resistant depressive
episodes or for those episodes with catatonic features.
Patients with psychotic features during a depressive episode usually
require adjunctive treatment with an antipsychotic medication. ECT
represents a reasonable alternative.
Studies of bipolar depression rarely separate results for patients with
bipolar I disorder from those of patients with bipolar II disorder. It is
not known whether specific pharmacotherapy regimens differ in efficacy for
treatment of bipolar I versus bipolar II depression. However, existing data
suggest that for patients with bipolar II disorder, antidepressant
treatment-either alone or in combination with a maintenance medication-is
less likely to result in a switch into a hypomanic episode relative to those
with bipolar I disorder (38).
3. Rapid cycling
The initial intervention for patients who experience rapid-cycling episodes
of illness is to identify and treat medical conditions that may contribute
to cycling, such as hypothyroidism or drug or alcohol use. Since
antidepressants may also contribute to cycling, the need for continued
antidepressant treatment should be reassessed; antidepressants should be
tapered if possible. The initial treatment for patients who experience
rapid-cycling episodes of illness should include lithium or valproate; an
alternative treatment is lamotrigine. In many instances, combinations of
medications are required (39,40); possibilities include combining two of
these agents or combining one of them with an antipsychotic. Because of
their more benign side effect profile, atypical antipsychotics are preferred
over typical antipsychotics.
C. Maintenance Treatment
Maintenance medication treatment is generally recommended following a
single manic episode. Although few studies have been conducted involving
patients with bipolar II disorder, consideration of maintenance treatment
for this form of the illness is also warranted. Primary goals of treatment
include relapse prevention, reduction of subthreshold symptoms, and
reduction of suicide risk. Goals also need to include reduction of cycling
frequency and mood instability as well as improvement in overall
functioning. Pharmacotherapy must be employed in ways that yield good
tolerability and do not predispose the patient to nonadherence.
Options with the best empirical evidence to support their use as
maintenance treatments include lithium or valproate; possible alternatives
include lamotrigine, carbamazepine, or oxcarbazepine. Despite limited data,
oxcarbazepine is included-as it was for acute treatment of mania-because its
efficacy may be similar to that of carbamazepine but with better
tolerability. In general, if one of these medications was used to achieve
remission from the most recent depressive or manic episode, it should be
continued. Maintenance ECT may also be considered for patients whose acute
episode responded to ECT. Selection of the initial treatment should be
guided by clinical factors such as illness severity, by associated features
(e.g., rapid cycling, psychosis), and by patient preference, with particular
attention to side effect profiles.
For patients treated with an antipsychotic medication during the
preceding acute episode, the need for ongoing antipsychotic treatment should
be reassessed upon entering the maintenance phase. Since antipsychotic
agents, particularly typical antipsychotics, may cause tardive dyskinesia
with long-term use, antipsychotics should be slowly tapered and discontinued
unless they are required to control persistent psychosis or provide
prophylaxis against recurrence. While maintenance therapy with atypical
antipsychotics may be considered, there is as yet no definitive evidence
that their efficacy in maintenance is comparable to that of agents such as
lithium or valproate.
Patients with bipolar disorder are likely to gain some additional benefit
during the maintenance phase from a concomitant psychosocial intervention
that addresses illness management (i.e., adherence, lifestyle changes, and
early detection of prodromal symptoms) and interpersonal difficulties.
Although not adequately studied to provide evidence-based documentation,
supportive and psychodynamic psychotherapy are widely used in addition to
medication.
Group psychotherapy, in conjunction with appropriate medication, may also
help patients address such issues as adherence to a treatment plan,
adaptation to a chronic illness, regulation of self-esteem, and management
of marital as well as other psychosocial issues.
Support groups provide useful information about bipolar disorder and its
treatment. Patients in these groups often benefit from hearing the
experiences of others who are struggling with such issues as denial versus
acceptance of the need for medication, problems with side effects, and how
to shoulder other burdens associated with the illness and its treatment.
Advocacy groups such as the National Depressive and Manic-Depressive
Association and the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (Appendix I) have
many local chapters that provide both support and educational material to
patients and their families.
Although maintenance medication combinations are often associated with
increases in side effects, use of such regimens should be considered for
patients who have not responded adequately to simpler regimens. The addition
of another maintenance medication, an
atypical antipsychotic, or an
antidepressant
may be necessary for patients who experience either
continuing high levels of subthreshold symptoms or a breakthrough episode of
illness. There are currently insufficient data to support one combination
over another. Maintenance
ECT may also be considered for patients whose
acute episode responded to ECT.
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